Culture

A while back a friend told me “you are a good writer, I like reading your articles/blog” And I had a speechless moment. Did he just call me a writer? It really never occurred to me that I could be referred to as a “writer.” I guess I didn’t feel I was writing anything special.

It then occurred to me that the art of writing is usually made over complicated by people than it should. This does not mean writing is easy, oh not at all. Rather, it shouldn’t be thought of as overly perplexing as it makes it harder to attempt. I used to think of writing in this way, which is what hindered me for the longest time. I started writing as a means to express my thoughts, and it kind of grew from there.

Now, one of the many problems I find people face with writing is “expectation’. I used to have a blog, which was targeted towards professional careers. Being a business student I wanted something I thought was high profile in terms of content and professionalism, which is great. But at the time I felt frustrated and unmotivated because I could barely think of content and I guess that came from me being concerned with maintaining this image rather than being “sincere.”

So my point is, your focus should not be writing an article you think people would want to read. Rather, focus on your interests and writing what you know- this way your personality and essence will shine through, attracting audiences who are interested in what you have to say. If your main focus is what others will think, you’ll end up frustrated if you do not yield desired results. When I started this blog no one else read it besides close friends, my family, and myself but I kept going. I suggest staying true to you and taking the first step (this is applicable to even professional career blogs).

Writing really begins with you, so stop overthinking it. A write-up could be a thought, an imagination, life encounter or a conversation you had. It could really be anything you want. An example is this post -it was inspired by a conversation I had today. I met this person who was talking about starting a blog, but he told me the problem was “I don’t know how to write”, and my immediate response was anyone could write, because everyone has a story, and that’s what I’m saying to you today. Your content matters, your content might be the change. Pick up the pen, or I guess the keyboard. Your piece might not get a hundred likes, or be the next critically acclaimed Shakespearean tragedy, but it will be something.